Electric starting and generating apparatus.



v T. L. LEE. EL'ECTRIC STARTING AND GENERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. 1915.

Patented July 3, 1917.

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UNITED {STATES PATENTAOFFICE.

THOMAS L. LEE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NORTH EASTELECTRICCOMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC STARTING AND GENERATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed May 15, 1915. Serial No. 28,4;8. v

new and useful Improvements in Electric Startin and GeneratingApparatus, of

, which t e following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric apparatus'such as is employed inconnection with motor-vehicles driven by internal-combustion engines,for the purpose of starting such engines by the power of an electricmotor energized by a storage-battery, and for thereafter recharging thebattery and generating electricity for various purposes; particularly tosystems of what is usually described as the single-unit type, that is inwhich the same dynamo-electrlc machine is em;

ployed alternatively as a motor for starting the engine, and as agenerator driven by the engine.

The object of the invention is to simplify and improve apparatus of thetype in question with respect to the means by, and the manner in which,the dynamo is thrown-into operation as a motor, and the connectionsbetween thebattery and the dynamo are controlled while the dynamo isoperating as a generator.

In accordance w th the present lnventlon,

, the apparatus is so constructed and arranged that, the starting-switchdoes not conduct the current by which the dynamo is energized in theperformance of the starting operation. Th s is accomplished by the useof a relay whichcontrols the main circuit, the starting-switch beingarranged to control only the circuit through which the relaywinding isenergized. In this manner it is rendered practicable to employ astartingswitch of small size and capacity, which may be connected withthe other parts of the apparatus by comparatively long and slenderleads, and to locate the starting-switch wherever this may beconvenient, as, for example, on the steering column of the vehicle,while at the same time the main current-leads are rendered even shorterand more direct than in the previous arrangement described. In furtheraccordance with the present lnveni tion the relayjust mentioned isemployed also as the automatic cut-out, a single magnetic core, windingand armature being employed to perform the two distinct functions ofcircuit-closing relay for starting and au- I tomatic cut-out forcontrolling the batterycharging operation. i.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic representation of apparatusembodying the present invention, associated with an internal-combustionengine. I

In the drawing the dynamo-electric machine 1 is illustrated in aconventional manner,.and shown-as having driving connections-with anengine 2; The dynamo is connected with one pole of a storage-battery 3,

by means of a main'conductor 4, theother pole of the 'battery beingconnected with the dynamo through a second main conductor comprising twoparts 5 and 6.v The relay comprises an armature 7, which constitutesalso acontact-member cooperating with a fixed front contact 9, thearmature and 'contact-member being connected, respectively,

with theparts 5 and 6 of the second main conductor, so that they controlthe main circuit between the battery and the dynamo.

The armature 7 also cooperates with a back contact 10, which is shown ascomprising a spring, so that it may follow the armature through a partof its movement, for a purpose which will be described later. 'A spring11, connected with the armature, tends to move it to, and hold it in,the position shownin the drawing, in which the main circuit is open,while the armature is in engagement with the back-contact 10.

The armature 7 is controlled by a relay-' magnet having a core 8 and awinding 12. One end of thewinding is connected,- by a wire 13, with thefirst main conductor 4:,

while the other end of the winding is conwire 19, with the part 6 o thesecond main conductor.

When the starting-switch is open and the dynamo is not in operation themain circuit is open, at the front-contacts of the relay, and 'therelay-magnet is deenergized, so that there is no waste of batteryenergy. When the engine is to be started the start- 'ber 18 ofthe-switch bein' connected, by a ing-switch-is closed, and current thenflows from the battery through the wire 6 to the Wire 19, and thus tothe starting-switch. From the starting-switch the currentflows, throughthe wire 14, to the winding 12, of the relay magnet, and thence back,through the wire-13 and the main conductor 4, to the storage-battery.The path-just'described is of sufliciently low resistance to permit thecurrent flowing under the E. M. F. of the battery to energize therelay-magnet with a force sulficient to overcome the spring 11 and thereluctance of the air-gap between the magnet and the armature, so thatthe armature is swung to the left, thus closing the maincircuit betweenthe armature and the fixed contact-member) 9, so that current from thebattery flows through the dynamo,

causing it toact as a motor. 7 4

"When the engine has' started the startingswitch may be opened, thusinterrupting the connections through which the relay-magnet is energizedas just described. If at this time the engine and the dynamoare'operating at a speed so low that the dynamo does not: generate an;E. M. F. greater than a certain predetermined amount, whichsubstantially greater than the normal battery voltage, the armature isdrawn back by .the spring 11, thus opening the main circuit;

Atthis time, however, the current generated by the dynamo flows throughthe wire 5 to the armature 7,"and thence, through the back-contact 10and the resistance-device 15, to the wire 14, and; this current passesthrough the magnet-winding 12 and back,

j by way of the wire 13 and the main-conductor 4 fore, as the generatorhas attained an E.'M.

to the dynamo. As soon, there- F. of the predetermined amount, thisbeing regulated by the resistance-device l6 and the spring 11, thearmature is again attractedby the relay-magnet, thus closing the maincir-- cuit and permitting the dynamo to recharge the battery.

When the armature is attracted by the magnet as just described thediminution of 2 the air-gap between the magnet and the armature tends tosubstantially diminish the amount of current required to hold thearmature.

' ployed to counteract this efi'ect, for when the armature is in. itsleft-hand position it is disengaged from. theback contact 10, andtherefore the current from the dynamo, by which the magnet is energized,must flow through both of the resistance-devices 16 and 15 in v theorder named.

" tions including the The resistance-device "15 is employed in order toprevent the occurrence of a circuit of low resistance-throughwhichcurrentmayflow, from the battery, through the connecstarting switch andthrough the dynamo, when the starting-. switch is closed to start theengine.

Both ofclaims.

The resistance-device 16 is em struction and arrangement of the partsabove described, and particularly the use of resistances controlled bythe relay-armature,

constitute the best means for carrying out.

the present invention which I have as yet devised, the invention is notlimited to the embodiment described, but may be embodied in variousother forms withinthe nature of the invention I claim 1. In combinationwith a dynamo-electric machine and'a storage-battery; a relay'comprisingcontact-members biased to openrcircuit position and a magnet controllingthe contact-members; main conductors connecting the dynamo and thebattery in circuit, the contact-members being interposed in one mainconductor; aconnection between the other main conductor and one terminalof the'winding of the relay-magnet;.av resistance-device connected inseries with the as it is defined in the following other terminal ofsaidwinding and that;

part of the first main conductor which, is

between the dynamo and the contact-devices; a switch; a' connectionbetweenone terminal of the switch'and the'connected terminalsof themagnet-winding and .the re- .sistance-device; and a connectionv betweenthe other switch-terminal and'that'part of the first main conductoryvhich is between thecontact-members and the battery.

2. In combination with a dynamo-electric machine and astorage-battery,-a' relay; conductors connecting the dynamo andth'e'batteryma 'main circuit through the relay-contacts but independently-ofthe relay wind' ing; low-resistance connections between therelay-Winding and the main circuit, for

energizing the .relay by current from the 1 battery when the dynamo isto'be used as a motor; a switch controllingfsaid connections; andconnections between the relaywinding "and the mam circuit, for'energiz-' f ing the magnet by current when the dynamo is in use.- asa"the last-mentioned connections including resistance suflicient tothereby under the battery-voltage alone.

3'. In combination with a machine and a storage-battery, and conductorsconnecting them in a-main circuit;

prevent operation of.

dynamo-electric from thedynamo' generator,

a relay-magnet; connections, between the winding of the relay-magnet andthe main circuit, for energizing the relay by current from the batterywhen the dynamo is to be used as a motor; a switch controllingsaidconnections; high-resistance connections, between the winding of therelay-magnet and the mam circuit, for energizing the magnet by currentfrom the dynamo when itis in use as a generator; contact-memberscontrolled by the relay-magnet and controlling the main circuit, saidcontact-members being biased to open-circuit position; contactmemberscontrolled by the relay-magnet and biased to closed-circuit position;and vconnections, between the last-mentioned contact members and saidhigh-resistance connections, for short-circuiting a part only of theresistance when the main circuit is open. 4. In combination with adynamo-electric and that part of the first main conductor which isbetween thedynamo and the frontcontacts; connections, including astartingswitch, between the second-mentioned terminal of therelay-winding and the part of the first main conductor which is betweenthe battery and the front-contacts; and a short circuit, controlledbythe back-contacts of the relay, about a part only of said highresistanceconnection.-

THOMAS L. LEE.

